1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and a storage medium that can handle a paper fingerprint.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, it has become possible to duplicate securities and certificate papers that cannot be distinguished from originals. Moreover, on the other hand, there are increasing situations scenes in which the contents of the securities and certificate documents are made electronic and they are printed and allowed to be used. Thus, the need to guarantee authenticity That is, needs and opportunities of guaranteeing authenticities of documents is are increasing.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-112644 discloses an identity assurance technique of a paper form by means of a paper fingerprint. A technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-112644 is to add a mark on the paper form and read a paper fingerprint of the paper form using the mark as a reference. Further, the read paper fingerprint is converted to an encoded image, and the encoded image is outputted on the above-mentioned paper form to form a printed matter.
When a third person who receives received the formed printed matter wishes to check “whether the printed matter is made from the above-mentioned paper form”, the paper fingerprint of the printed matter is read using the mark as the reference and the read paper fingerprint is compared with a paper fingerprint in the encoded image. If the comparison result shows that the read paper fingerprint matches the paper fingerprint in the encoded image, it is possible to confirm will be able to check that the printed matter is surely a paper form that was used at the time of forming the encoded image.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H11-195079 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H8-147400 disclose a technique of guaranteeing the identity of document information. The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H11-195079 and Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H8-147400 is such that a part of the document information is converted to a bar code and the bar code after conversion and the document information are combined and outputted on a paper form, forming a printed matter.
When a person who receives received the formed printed matter wishes to check whether the printed matter is made from the above-mentioned paper form, the paper fingerprint of the printed matter is read using the code as a reference and the read paper fingerprint and the paper fingerprint in the encoded image are compared. When the comparison result shows that the read paper fingerprint matches the paper fingerprint in the encoded image, it is possible to confirm will be able to be checked that the above-mentioned printed matter is surely a paper form being used when the encoded image is formed.